1 1

Leaning Post Cabernet Franc

Leaning Post

$69.95 CAD
$69.95 CAD
Sale Sold out
Shipping calculated at checkout.

Leaning Post Cabernet Franc - Niagara Peninsula, Canada

Producer's Notes:

The 2020 vintage started warm and sunny, and stayed that way well into harvest, allowing us to hang the grapes late into the season, giving plenty of time to fully ripen.  On the nose, blackcurrant, mulberry, raspberry, and blackberry immediately appear, followed quickly by tobacco-leaf, sweet basil, cured meat, cigar-box, cocoa, and cumin. The palate shows lovely balance but is a bit more brooding, with blueberry appearing alongside cassis and blackberry, playing off leather, tobacco, smoked sausage, and a mossy/brambly character that underpins the whole wine. This is certainly the fullest and richest Cabernet Franc we have produced; however, great older vines and awesome terroir have given this wine an intense gravelly/stony character, with exquisite finesse and balance that matches the very present tannins, giving it immense structure and agebility.  We continue to raise the bar for Cabernet Franc in Niagara, and this is another great example that can easily age 8-10 years. To drink now, decant well in advance, and the wine will really unfold for you!
This is our first vintage of Cabernet Franc from 25-year-old vines in Grimsby Hillside Vineyard (Lincoln Lakeshore VQA). The grapes were hand-picked and hand-sorted on November 5th, destemmed, and left to cold soak on skins prior to fermentation. The fermentation started spontaneously in concrete fermenters, with the skins being punched down by hand 2 times per day. Once fermentation was finished, the wine remained on skins for 6 days before being gently pressed. It was then transferred to French and American oak barrels (30% new) and aged for 21 months. The 2020 Cabernet Franc was bottled in September 2022.

What We Say:

A compelling example of Niagara Cabernet Franc, combining the variety's characteristic red and dark berry fruit with savory herbal notes, spice, firm tannins, and the freshness that comes naturally from Niagara's cool climate.
This wine is produced with a hands-on, minimal-intervention approach. Grapes are hand-picked and hand-sorted, destemmed, and cold-soaked on their skins. Fermentation began spontaneously in small open-top fermenters, with the skins punched down by hand twice daily. After fermentation, the wine remained on its skins for another six days before gentle pressing. It was then aged for 20 months in French and American oak barrels, including 35% new oak, before bottling.

Grape Variety: Cabernet Franc

Style: Red - Dry, full-bodied, rich, age-worthy, and structured

Alcohol: 14.2%

Drink Window: Up to 10 years from the vintage date

Perfect For: Roasted or grilled beef, venison, rich game casseroles, grilled vegetables, and well-aged cheddar or pecorino romano

 

A terroir-driven Niagara red that can be enjoyed now with decanting or later if aged well.